Spirituality Torah Portion/Synagogues Community Choices Shabbat Beshalach: Exodus 13:17-17•16• Judges 4•4-5:31. ecently, our community experi- enced a change that has altered my Shabbos experience forever. No, I'm not speaking about the Jewish Community Center's decision to open on Shabbos morning. Rather, I'm writing about the Jewish News' decision to publish its paper not on Friday, as it had done for years, but instead on Thursday. It's going to take some time to get used to. In the past, I would arrive home with just enough time to get the mail, put the JN on the coffee table and prepare for Shabbos with the knowledge that I could thumb through the paper at a leisurely pace on Friday evening. The new Thursday publication presents me with a dilemma: On the one hand, I can just leave it until Shabbos. But what if there's something I need to know about, and I just left that JNsitting on Reuven Spolter is rabbi of Young Israel of Oak Park. my table, unread, for a day? phrase. In addition to showing Moshe My dilemma, as silly and flippant as the Splenda Tree, the,Torah tells us that it is, got me thinking about my — and "there He gave him a statute and a law our — communal Shabbos experience. ..." (15:25) The vague language seems You see, Shabbos isn't just a personal strange: First of all, what statute and choice. Rather, the Torah considers law does God give? Moreover, why does Shabbos both a personal command- the Torah use the singular language — ment and a communal imperative. "He gave him'? If God gave this statute After Red Sea returns to normal with and law to the Jewish people, why not the Egyptian army sinking to say that He gave it to them? the bottom, the Jewish people Rashi explains that along look around at each other, and with the water, God gives the invariably, someone must have people three things: Judicial asked, "Hey, did anybody law, laws of ritual purity and bring a canteen? Anyone got the laws of Shabbos. The something to drink ... for 2 Torah uses the singular form million of us?" to convey that these laws, Not surprisingly, no one perhaps more than anythin g had given it a second thought. else, would define the new They simply followed Moshe Jewish nation as a singular RABBI into a barren desert with no community. REUVEN going back. When they finally Without interpersonal SPOLTER discover a well, its bitter taste laws, society cannot function • Special to the prevents them from drinking The people needed laws of Jewish News the water. So the people purity to be able to interact kvetch to Moshe. Moshe cries with God. Finally, God out to God. God shows Moshe a tree teaches us that for any community to (let's call it the Splenda Tree) that he achieve a level of sanctity, it must, as a throws in the water, the people drink, group, dedicate itself to uphold and and everyone's happy. observe the Shabbos. Yet, the Torah adds an important While individuals might uphold Services: weekdays 7:15 am.; Saturday 10 am.; Sunday 8 a.m. Keeping Kosher Parve is a term used to describe kosher food that contains neither dairy nor meat and is considered neutral. Sponsored by Lubavitch Women's Organization. For information on keeping kosher or for help making your kitchen kosher, contact Miriam Amzalak at (248) 548-6771 or e-mail• miriamainzalaki@jano.com CONSERVATIITE ADAT SHALOM SYNAGOGUE 29901 Middlebelt, Farmington Hills, 48334, (248) 851- 5100. Rabbis: Daniel Nevins, Herbert Yoskowitz, Rachel Lawson Shere. Rabbi emeritus: Efry Spectre. Cantor. Yevsey Gutman. Cantor emeritus: Larry Vieder. Services: Friday 5 p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m., 5 p.m.; weekdays 7:30 a.m., 5 p.m.; Sunday 8:30 am. B'not mitzvah of Lou Goldman, daughter of Barbara and Stewart Mandell and Lori and Lee Goldman; Katherine Kovan, daughter of Ilene and Bruce kovan. AHAVAS ISRAEL (GRAND RAPIDS) 2727 Michigan St SE, Grand Rapids, 49506-1297, (616) 949-2840. Rabbi: David J.B. Krishet Cantor: Stuart R. Rapaport Services: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, 7:30 a.m.; Friday, 7 p.m.; Saturday, 9:30 a.m. BEIT KODESH 31840 W. Seven Mile, Livonia, (248) 477-8974. Cantor David Gutman. President Larry Stein. Vice presidents: Martin Diskin, Al Gittieman. Services: Friday 8 p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m. CONGREGATION BETH AHM JI14 1/20 2005 60 5075 W. Maple, West Bloomfield, 48322, (248) 851-6880. Ritual director: Joseph Mermelstein. Rabbi emeritus: A. Irving Schnipper. Cantor Emeritus: Shabtai Ackerman. Guest rabbi: Aaron Bergman. Visiting scholar. Dr. Howard Lupovitch. Services: Friday 6 p.m.; Saturday 9:30 a.m., 5 p.m.; weekdays 7 am., 7 p.m.; Sundays and civic holi- days: 8:15 a.m., 5 p.m. BETH ISRAEL (FLINT) G-5240 Calkins Road, Flint, 48532, (810) 732-6310. Cantor emeritus: Sholom Kalib. President Dr. Harold Steinman. Services: Saturday 9:30 a.m., 6 p.m.; weekdays 7:30 am., 6 p.m.; Sunday and legal holidays 8 a.m., 6 p.m. Ivriah religious school (810) 732-6312. BETH ISRAEL (ANN ARBOR) CONGREGATION 2000 Washtenaw Ave., Ann Arbor, 48104, (734) 665-9897. Rabbi: Robert Dobrusin. Services: Friday 6 p.m.; Saturday 9:30 a.m.; weekdays 7:30 p.m.; Sunday 5 p.m. CONGREGATION BETH SHALOM 14601 W. Lincoln, Oak Park, 48237, (248) 547-7970. Rabbi: David A. Nelson. Cantor Samuel L Greenbaum. Ritual director. Rev. Samuel Semp. Services: Friday 6 p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m., 5 p.m.; Sunday 9 am., 5 p.m.; weekdays 7 am., 6:30 p.m. Bar mitzvah of Samuel Pearlstrein, son of Suzi and Alan Pearistein. BETH TEPHILATH MOSES 146 South Ave., Mt. Clemens, 48043, (586) 465-0641. CONGREGATION B'NAI MOSHE 6800 Drake, West Bloomfield, 48322, (248) 788-0600. Rabbi: Elliot Pachter. Cantor Earl Berris. Services: Friday 5 p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m., 5 p.m.; Monday-Friday 7 am., Monday-Thursday 6 p.m.; Sunday and legal holidays 9 am.; Sunday 5 p.m. Sisterhood Shabbat. Haftorah, Naomi Pinchuk. DOR CHADASH - U. OF MICH. U-M Hillel; 1429 Hill St., Ann Arbor 48104, (734) 769- 0500. Rabbi: Jason A. Miller. Co-chairs: Naomi Karp, Perry Teicher. Egalitarian Cariebach-style service 5:30 p.m. Fridays. Monthly Shabbat morning service. Monthly Shabbat Minchah-Seudah Shlishit. Check Web site for times vvwvv.u.mhillel.org ISAAC AGREE DOWNTOWN SYNAGOGUE 1457 Griswold, Detroit, 48226, (313) 961-9328. Chazan: Cantor Usher Adler. Baal Kriah: Howard Marcus. C,antorial soloist Neil Barris. Ritual director. Dr. Martin Herman. President Dr. Ellen Kahn. Services: Saturday 8:30 am. also the second Friday of every month at 7 p.m. CONGREGATION SHAAREY ZEDEK Rabbis: Joseph H. Krakoff, Jonathan E. Berkun, Eric S. Yanoff. Rabbi emeritus: Irwin Groner. Cantor: Chaim Najman. Ritual director: Leonard Gutman. Southfield: 27375 Bell Road, Southfield, 48034, (248) 357-5544. Services: Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday 7:30 am.; Monday, Thursday 7:15 am.; daily 5 p.m.; Friday 5:15 p.m.; Saturday 8:45 am., 5 p.m.; Sunday 8:30 a.m. B'not mitzvah of Alissa Graff, daughter of Patrice DuQuette and Steven Graff; Sarah Oleinick, daughter of Claire Greco and Allan Oleinick. these laws on their own, without each of these three things on a communal level, we can never aspire to become a covenantal community with God. I guess I really am talking about the JCC being open on Shabbos after all. I understand quite well that many people do not make the personal choice to observe Shabbos and while that saddens me, it remains their personal right and choice. At the same time, when a Jewish Community Center makes a choice, it chooses for the entire community — not just for the individuals who utilize the health club on a Shabbos morning. That decision isn't a personal choice, or a business choice, but a reli- gious and spiritual choice that affects each and every one of us in the com- munity, whether we read about on Thursday, Friday, or any other day of the week. ❑ Conversations Are community decisions made from the top down or from the bottom up? Why are imperatives the same for both individuals and the community? West Bloomfield, B'nai Israel Center: 4200 Walnut Lake Road, West Bloomfield, 48323-2772, (248) 357-5544. Services: Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday 7:15 a.m.; Monday, Thursday 7 a.m.; daily 6 p.m.; Friday 6 p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m., 5 p.m.; Sunday 9 a.m. TEMPLE ISRAEL 2300 Center Ave., Bay City, 48708; (989) 893-7811. Cantor. Daniel Gale. President Dr. Jonathan Abramson. Services: Saturday 9:30 am. A liberal, egalitarian congre- gation serving the tri-cities area. Religious and Hebrew education programs for children and adults. INDEIPENDENT AHAVAT SHALOM 413 N. Division St., Traverse City, 49684, (231) 929-4330. Rabbi: Chava (Stacie) Bahie. Weekly Shabbat celebra- tions, holidays, year round programming, children's edu- cation. Summer programming for downstate visitors. GROSSE POINTE JEWISH COUNCIL (313) 882-6700. Rabbi: Nicholas Behrmann. Cantorial soloist Bryant Frank. JEWBILATION P.O. Box 130014, Ann Arbor, 48103, (734) 996-3524 or 995-1963. Rev. Lauren Zinn. Services: Friday 6:15, fol- lowing dinner. Jewish Roots with Interfaith Wings holds bi-monthly Shabbat dinner, services, kids' programs, family school and Hebrew school for all ages. ORTHODOX AGUDAS YISROEL MOGEN ABRAHAM 15751 W. Lincoln, Southfield, 48075, (248) 552-1971. Rabbis: Dov Loketch, Asher Eisenberger. President: Irwin Cohen.